Theirs is a relationship of trust, harmony, and respect born of a way of life that is all but lost. One man puts it within our grasp again. In this book, GaWaNi Pony Boy illustrates the traditional training methods - methods that are steeped in common sense and age-old wisdom - of his ancestors, America's first great horsemen. The full-color photographs and simple eloquence takes us back to the days when horse training was not merely about getting results but about creating a bond for life. An inspiration for riders and a feast for horse and Native American culture enthusiasts, Horse, Follow Closely: Native American Horsemanship forges a relationship with readers that few books can ever hope to achieve.

    Now revised and updated, the "Complete Horse Riding Manual" covers dressage, show jumping, and cross-country riding, detailing everything you need to know to compete in these events, whether you are a beginner or more experienced rider."Complete Horse Riding Manual" is brimming with advice on finding the best horse for you, training a young horse, forming the ultimate horse-and-rider team, boosting and maintaining your own physical fitness and suppleness, and building the fitness and stamina of your horse.

    Chicken Soup for the

    The premise of Paddock Paradise is to stimulate horses to behave and move naturally according to their instincts. "This is the key," according to Jackson, "to having physically and mentally healthier horses." This unique and unprecedented model is adaptable to virtually all size horse properties, regardless of climate, and fits all equine breeds regardless of how they are used. Consider some of the following benefits for creating a Paddock Paradise for your horses: - Encourages constant movement, as nature intended. - Greater movement means natural hoof wear with fewer bills. - Protects horses from dangerous founder-prone pastures. - Minimizes the need for warm-up exercise time before riding. - Helps address neurotic behavior by providing natural outlets. - Provides an effective means for diet and weight management. - Adaptable for breeding, foaling, multiple horse operations.Paddock Paradise Includes:- Template for making your paddock - Hundreds of ideas - Sample paddocks created by practitioners and horse owners - ResourcesTrue Natural Boarding for Horses!What Horse Owners have to say about Paddock Paradise:"I could not be happier with my Paddock Paradise. The horses move all the time.""They keep their weight down easier than before and the top line muscles in my 20 year old has shown some development.""Their hooves are also better because they are on hard dry ground. I've seen improvement in concavity in both horses.""The horses seem to love it - they are always on the move!"

    Whether used to give disabled riders a sense of freedom and mobility, to heal wounds of childhood abuse, to assist with work, or simply as loving companions, horses bond with people in ways that change them for the better. The stories, contributed by people from all over the country and from all walks of life, introduce Cholla, the horse who paints pictures; a veterinarian who was reminded of the importance of compassion by a dying horse and a Native American chief; Star, a horse who saved a teenage girl from suicide; the late-blooming rider who embarrassed a horse and learned an important lesson about respecting the feelings of others even if they have four legs; and many others. Whether running through fields or performing intricate dressage drills, horses carry not only riders but messages of unconditional love and hope."

    They express their needs, wishes and emotions to each other and to the rare human being who understands them. After reading this unprecedented, exciting and up-lifting book, you will understand the equine language. You therefore will know how to recognize:A happy horse. A frightened horse. An angry horse. A bored horse. A grieving horse. A frustrated horse. A horse horse in pain. A playful horse. A proud horse. An eagerly competitive horse. And many horses more!Moreover, you will know how to reassure the frightened, calm the angry, comfort the grieving, divert the bored -- and deal with most other human-equine difficulites. You will know how to educate a foal or rehabilitate a rogue. You will know how to look at race horses on their way to the starting gate and differentiate the likely winners from the losers.You even will know how to buy a horse.But best of all, you will finally understand what these grand animals are all about, and you will know better than ever before how they (and we) fit into nature's scheme of things.

    Pony Clubs, Inc. and want to meet the USPC's Standards of Proficiency. If you are that youngster, you will be able to read this book on your own. It will show you how to become a careful, thoughtful rider and how to communicate with and understand your pony. Some sections, however, are meant to be read by an adult (a parent or riding instructor), so you can get the extra help you need to reach your goals. By the time you have read this book you will know a lot about:

    Useful as both a divination deck and as a book for straight reading, "Way of the Horse" offers profound insight into the powerful relationship between horses and humans. The book consists of 40 chapters,... Full description

    Now for the first time, Col. Podhajsky has set forth explicitly and in practical, instructive fashion the step-by-step methods of training both horse and rider that are used at the School and that are the applicable foundations of all good horsemanship, for their purpose is to develop the natural abilities of the horse and to make riding a graceful, pleasurable experience.

    They use this energy, called chi, to communicate with their herd, express dominance, and sense predators. Hamilton shares safe, simple techniques to make you more receptive to your animal’s chi, so you can develop a calm and effective training style that will not only help your horse follow commands, but strengthen the spiritual bond between horse and rider.

    They evoke a full range of emotions like hope and courage and valor. They can gallop straight to you with neck arched and tail flagged, and then instantly melt to a stop—just to share your breath.” We’ve been besotted with horses since they had three toes. From the popular Relaxed and Forward blog comes training advice combining the everyday fundamentals of dressage with mutual listening skills. Blake writes with a profound respect for horses and an articulate voice for humans, blending equal parts inspiration and un-common sense. It’s serious training communicated with humor and lightness, because horses like us when we laugh. Most riders want to build a better relationship with their horse. These short essays are geared as much toward attitude as technique, and include topics ranging from reading calming signals from your horse to using breath as your best communication tool. Blake’s writing uses clear descriptions, storytelling, and humor to inspire meaningful, positive communication. Less correction and more direction. Horses are honest; they answer us in kind. If we want a better response, a more fluid conversation and relationship with a horse, we have to be the ones to change first. The other word for that is leadership. By the author of Stable Relation, A Memoir of One Woman’s Spirited Journey Home, by Way of the Barn. “Excitement and delight surge through me every time I see Anna Blake's name as an author. Her writing is filled with deep understanding and heart connection, seasoned with a lively dash of humor. Reading her work is like giving myself a gift...one I can open again and again.” --Kim Walnes, winning USET Three Day Eventer, Riding Instructor/Trainer, and Life Coach.

    Gerd Heuschmann is well-known in dressage circles—admired for his plain speaking regarding what he deems the incorrect and damaging training methods commonly employed by riders and trainers involved in competition today. Here, he presents an intelligent and thought-provoking exploration of both classical and "modern" training methods, including "hyperflexion" (also known as Rollkur), against a practical backdrop of the horse's basic anatomy and physiology. In a detailed yet comprehensible fashion, Dr. Heuschmann describes parts of the horse's body that need to be correctly developed by the dressage rider. He then examines how they function both individually and within an anatomical system, and how various schooling techniques affect these parts for the good, or for the bad. Using vivid color illustrations of the horse's skeletal system, ligaments, and musculature, in addition to comparative photos depicting "correct" versus "incorrect" movement—and most importantly, photos of damaging schooling methods—Dr. Heuschmann convincingly argues that the horse's body tells us whether our riding is truly gymnasticizing and "building the horse up," or simply wearing it down and tearing it apart. He then outlines his ideal "physiological education" of the horse. Training should mirror the mental and physical development of the horse, fulfilling "classical" requirements—such as regularity of the three basic gaits, suppleness, and acceptance of the bit—rather than disregarding time-tested values for quick fixes that could lead to the degradation of the horse's well-being. Dr. Heuschmann's assertion that the true objectives of dressage schooling must never be eclipsed by simple "mechanical perfection" is certain to inspire riders at all levels to examine their riding, their riding goals, and the techniques they employ while pursuing them.

    Nicknamed "The Grey Ghost, " Native Dancer was a blue-blood thoroughbred with a taste for drama, courtesy of his come-from-behind running style, and impressive credits: He finished first in 21 of his 22 career starts, his only loss by a nose in the 1953 Kentucky Derby; was named Horse of the Year--twice; and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. His popularity was so great, Time(R) magazine put him on its cover, and TV Guide named him one of America's top three TV stars, along with Ed Sullivan and arthur godfrey. Legend says his ghost haunts Churchill Downs. Set against the nostalgic events of an America long past, Native Dancer is the definitive account of one of the greatest champions of horse racing's golden age.- 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of Native Dancer's heroic bid for the Triple Crown, and NATIVE DANCER's 5/03 publication date is perfectly timed to tie in to the running of this national event.- Books about racehorses have become tremendously popular, as evidenced by Seabiscuit (Random House, 3/01), the #1 New York Times bestseller about the legendary thoroughbred and his fabled rivalry with War Admiral.Spanning a half-century of American life, NATIVE DANCER incorporates such touchstones as the end of the railroad era, the dawn of the TV age, the fading old money grandeur of the Vanderbilts, and the darkest days of the Depression.

    Based on more than twenty years of working with, training, and observing horses, Irwin explains why trust and honesty are essential elements in building relationships with horses, and why the sensitivity and awareness that characterize a horse's perception of the world are qualities we can use to enrich our own lives. "A horse knows what you know," Irwin reminds us, and in Horses Don't Lie his message is clear: Horses have a great deal to teach us about how to communicate with empathy and patience -- not only with them, but also with each other.

    Instead Lay Me Down, a former racehorse, walked right up that ramp and into Susan’s life. This gentle creature??—??malnourished, plagued by pneumonia and an eye infection??—??had endured a rough road, but somehow her heart was still open and generous. It seemed fated that she would come into Susan’s paddock and teach her how to embrace the joys of life despite the dangers of living.An elegant and often heartbreaking tale filled with animal characters as complicated and lively as their human counterparts, this is an inspiring story of courage and hope and the ways in which all love??—??even an animal’s??—??has the power to heal.